Memory
by lostgurl
Summary: Claire has found her way back to the caves. However, the only person on the island she can remember is Charlie, who struggles to help her. Ethan has taken another victim, and this time it's Kate. Jack's life is put in danger while rescuing her.rnrnDisclai
1. Default ChapterCharlie

Chapter 1

Charlie sat by the fire, staring into the glow as he had done so many days before. He knew what they thought. It wasn't like he couldn't see Hurley and Michael, standing from a distance watching him, lowering their voices to hushed whispers. They thought he was going crazy. Maybe he was. Without Claire with him, who knows?

Jack came and sat next to Charlie, handing him some aspirin. Charlie didn't argue this time, because he actually did have a headache from worrying about Claire constantly. "You OK?" Jack asked. For the first time, Charlie actually pondered over this question. Was he OK? He didn't even know himself.

"Jack…do you, and the others…do you think I'm going crazy?" Charlie asked, not bothering to face Jack.

"You're not going crazy, Charlie. A crazy person only thinks they're getting saner," Jack replied, quoting the same words Locke had said to him, too.

Charlie smiled and studied his feet. "I miss Claire. Without her…I'm nothing. I'd barely met her and…"

Something interrupted Charlie's statement. Twigs snapped, leaves crinkled. Someone was coming. Charlie and Jack both turned to face the dark, mysterious woods. Two figures were coming towards them, and it looked like they were holding something big.

The two figures slowly appeared, and they were holding someone else. Charlie squinted and saw that it was Boone and Locke carrying…  
"CLAIRE!" Charlie exclaimed, running over to her. Her face was red and dirty, her clothes torn and caked with mud. Claire gave Charlie a look, almost as if she were seeing him for the first time. But then a single tear ran down her cheek. "Charlie…" She whispered.


	2. Chapter 2Claire

Chapter 2

Charlie. There he was, standing in front of her. She sank into his chest, feeling a warmth and happiness wash over her that she had never felt before.

They held one another for a minute before Claire pulled Charlie aside and whispered, "Who are they?" She gestured to Jack, Locke and Boone. Charlie gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

Claire began to cry. "I remember the plane crash, the island, my being pregnant…" She placed a worn hand on her round, protruding stomach. "I even remember my life before the crash. But you're the only person I know." She gazed at Jack, Locke and Boone. "They do look familiar, though."

Claire watched as Charlie sank down and put his face in his hands. "Claire, do you remember Ethan? Tall, freaky-looking guy?" He asked.

Claire thought a minute before replying, "Vaguely. Didn't he kidnap us?"

A smile came across Charlie's face. "Good, you remember that son of a bitch. Do you know if he did anything to you?"

Claire thought again. "I just remember you leaving with him, and I thought he killed you. And a needle…then I blacked out…"

"Probably drugged you like he did to me," Charlie sighed.

Jack came over to them. "Claire, I should probably check you out for minor injuries. Then you need to tell us everything you can about Ethan." He handed her a water bottle.

Claire didn't reach out and take it; instead, she stared at the stranger that wanted to "check her out". And yet, he seemed strangely familiar. Claire knew that she had known him, and she struggled to remember, but nothing came to mind.

Jack shot a confusing look at Charlie, who dragged him off to the side.

"Jack, Claire can't remember anything about us, except for me…and Ethan." Charlie whispered.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes. "Ethan probably drugged her…"   
"That's what I said!" Charlie exclaimed.

"I'll see what I can do," Jack said. "But for now, stay with her. It might be a short-term drug, and her memory may come back in a few hours."

Claire watched the two talk, and tried hard to remember anything about the man. Suddenly, words hit her like a slap in the face.

_"You're trying to give me sleeping pills when a man is trying to kill my baby?" This was Claire's voice._

_"Claire, your pregnancy may be causing some nightmares." Jack replied.  
"No! This man is trying to kill my baby!" Claire gathered her bags and left._

Her thoughts were cut short when a fat man with hair that stuck out in all directions came running into the clearing. He looked surprisingly familiar, too. He looked at Claire and said, "Claire's here. Great. Now she's back, and…" He sat down to catch his breath.

The doctor, who Claire had heard Charlie call Jack, ran over to him.

"Hurley, what is it?" Jack asked. Hurley…even the name seemed familiar to Claire.

"It's…Kate…" Hurley continued, gasping for breath.

"Kate?" Jack asked, a sudden look of concern in his hazel-brown eyes.

"Ethan's…taken…Kate."


	3. Chapter 3Jack

Chapter 3

Hurley shoved a crumpled piece of paper into Jack's trembling hands. "He left…this note…" Hurley panted.

Slowly, Jack unfolded the note. Locke, Boone, Charlie and Claire all watched as a look of horror came over Jack's face. "What's it say?" Charlie asked.

In a voice shaking with fear and anger, Jack began to read the note aloud.

"I have taken the girl, Kate. She may return, she may not. The pregnant girl was lucky, but as you'll see, she's lost her memory. Here's a hint on what I might do with Kate: This note is written in her blood."

Charlie cursed under his breath and held Claire. Locke looked out at the woods, as if Ethan might pop out any minute. Hurley, still panting from exhaustion, eyed Jack carefully. Boone whispered, "What are we gonna do?" And Jack? He simply dropped the note, closed his eyes, and began to count.

"1…2…3…4…5…"

He opened his eyes, and now he only felt a sense of anger and hatred. Some instinct told him to run, to go find Kate.

And boy, did he run.


	4. Chapter 4Kate

Chapter 4

Kate knelt, her hands digging holes in the moist earth. One by one, she plopped the blue-ish green-ish Guava seeds into the holes and covered them up. She smiled, because the seeds reminded her of Jack.

Jack…his warm smile and deep brown eyes made Kate's heart melt. She hadn't confessed to anyone how she felt about him...yet. Kate could picture him in her head perfectly, as if she'd taken a picture of him and stored it in her memory. She wondered where, and what, he was doing this minute. It seemed just like yesterday when he'd asked her to stitch up his wound…

"Should I go get more?" Sun's voice startled Kate.

"Huh?" Kate asked.

Sun smiled. "More seeds. You ran out."

Kate blushed. "Oh…uh…yea. Sure."

Sun smiled again and headed for the woods.

Kate sighed and brushed a loose hair out of her eyes. She came to the conclusion that she thought about Jack all the time, which _was_ true. But what if he doesn't feel the same way about me? Kate wondered. Her thoughts were once more interrupted by a voice, except this time it definitely wasn't Sun's.

Slowly, Kate lifted her head to see Ethan towering over her. "Hello, there," his deep voice seemed to echo in the deserted area. Cringing, Kate began to edge away. "What…what do you want?" She asked, trembling. She backed up more, but he took a step closer. He knelt down until he was eye-level with her. "Oh…you'll see," He whispered.

Then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5Charlie

Chapter 5

"Jack!" Charlie called. "Let me come with you!" He began to run after Jack, but Locke stopped him short. "I'm going. You have to stay with Claire, she needs your help." He said.

Charlie looked back at Claire, who met his gaze and smiled. Charlie returned the smile, then turned back to Locke. But he was already gone, along with Boone.

Charlie sat next to Claire, who was twiddling her thumbs. He noticed a single tear run down her face and remembered something that might cheer her up.

He reached into his bag and pulled out the empty glass jar and unscrewed the lid. "I hope you don't mind extra creamy," He offered the jar to her.

Claire smiled, but it only made her cry harder. "I remember the peanut butter," She sobbed. "But why can't I remember the people?"

Charlie wrapped her in a hug. "Hey, come on. It's gonna be alright! Remember what I said, before Ethan took us?" Charlie looked into Claire's blue-green eyes. "I'll always be here for you, Claire. No matter what."

Claire smiled, and Charlie's heart skipped a beat. Did he dare do what he'd wanted to do to Claire ever since he met her? Shooting a quick glance around the clearing, he saw that Hurley had left and they were alone.

He faced Claire once more. "Maybe this will help you remember," He whispered. He leaned in, putting his lips to hers.


	6. Chapter 6Claire

The kiss was more than friendly. Claire felt that warmth wash over her, the same one she'd felt before. Her head was spinning and she couldn't concentrate. She was only thinking of Charlie, of wanting this moment to last a lifetime. Her heart pounded so loud, she thought Charlie himself could here it. She'd never felt or experienced anything like this before, at least never with Thomas, the only other man she'd loved as much as this.

Of course, now she despised Thomas. He'd never been there for her. He left her in her time of need. Just left her, when she was pregnant with his baby. Charlie, on the other hand, was completely different, and everything she'd ever wished for. Claire had only known him since the crash, and she knew he'd never leaver her. Or would he? Weren't those the exact words Thomas had said…and look where she'd ended up. Gradually she pulled away.

Sensing concern in her eyes, Charlie asked, "What's wrong?"

"Charlie…did I ever tell you about Thomas?" Claire asked quietly.

She watched Charlie ponder this for a moment. He seemed to be deciding on an answer…but the only answer he could give her was a straight out yes or no, right?  
"Claire, I have to confess now. I…I read your diary, while you were gone. I know, I'm a lousy scum bag. But I only did it for information, any possible clue as to where you were so we could find you. Please, I only…"

Claire smiled. "It's OK. So you read about Thomas?"

Charlie frowned. "That lousy son-of-a-bitch ponce, you mean? Yea, I read about him"  
Claire laughed. "Well then, you know how it turned out. I'm sorry, Charlie, I love you, but…I just…"

"Don't want to be hurt again." Charlie finished for her. "I understand."

Claire smiled and changed the subject. "You never told me what happened when Ethan went off with you, and I thought you died…"

Charlie laughed, as if the sort of thing happened every day. "Died, almost. He took me outside, and we went to this grove of trees. He took a rope and said, 'It's either you, or her. Who's it going to be?' And of course I said me. So he hung me. I blacked out, but then I woke up, like it was a dream. Jack was standing over me, hugging me, letting me breath again. Kate was behind him, crying. Jack told me I had pretty much died, but they got there in time and basically brought me back to life."

Charlie looked over at Claire, who was crying. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Charlie…I didn't know…you almost died for me…no, you DID die for me!" Claire cried. She embraced him in a hug. Now she knew she could trust him. Thomas would've never cared about her as much as Charlie did, let alone risk his life fore hers!

She returned the kiss, making the moment come back to life again. She felt it was right. When they pulled away, Charlie took her hands and said, "Claire, please. I need you to remember. Anything at all. Please, just try."

Claire nodded and closed her eyes. The words came again, this time more of them and more voices.

"_Help me! Someone, please help me!"  
"What's going on?" A man rushed up to her._

"_I'm having contractions! Help me!" The plane wreckage around her was burning, the survivors running for their lives._

_The man called over another man. He was overweight, and his frizzy brown hair stuck straight up._

"_Get her away from the fumes. If her contractions continue more than 3 minutes apart, get me. Go!"_

_The fat man sat next to her. "Ok, you have to get up. Let's go."  
Claire shook her head. "I can't….I can't move…"_

"_You have to!"  
The man, the doctor, came running back, yelling. "Move! Get her away! Look out!"  
Looking up, Claire saw that the vertical wing was creaking threateningly and about to fall right on top of them .Struggling, the fat man and the doctor strung Claire's arms around her shoulders and lifted her up._

_They ran, and the wing came crashing down behind them, the impact throwing her to the ground._

"Claire? Claire, are you OK? Claire?" Charlie voice brought Claire back to reality.

"Charlie, I remember someone." Claire's face was sweaty and pale.

"Who?" Charlie asked.

"The doctor, and the fat man. Jack and Hurley. I…I remember."


	7. Chapter 7Jack

Jack ran. He didn't know exactly where he was running to. All he knew was that he had to find Kate. Truth to be told, he felt like he couldn't go a day without seeing her face. Now he blamed himself for letting Ethan take her—he felt like he shouldn't have let her out of his sight. _No,_ Jack thought. _It's not your fault. She can take care of herself._ But then his mind reflected back to the note Ethan had left: _This note is written in her blood_. Jack thought of the numerous possible things that could happen to Kate—and they were things he didn't want to think about.

Jack knew Locke and Boone had followed him. Locke was the hunter, and he seemed to know the island inside and out. Though he freaked everyone out, Jack trusted him and had no doubt that Locke would find him. Boone would simply tag along. Secretly, though, Jack felt like he should save Kate himself. At least, he _wanted_ to save Kate himself.

_Should I tell her how I feel? But what if she doesn't feel the same way about me? Then it would be kind of awkward, and I'm going to see her _all _the time, because God knows how long we'll be stuck on the God-forsaken island…_these thoughts spun around in Jack's mind. But the worst thought was, _What if she dies, and I never get to say how I feel about her, let alone a simple 'Goodbye'?_ He didn't want to think about this now, but Jack began to run faster, looking everywhere for Kate. It was a once-in-a-life-time chance that he was willing to take.

The island that had grown familiar to him now became a strange, unknown, dangerous place. Slowly Jack came to a stop, panting and gasping for air after running for what seemed like ages. He stopped breathing for a second and looked around him. Not a sound. Thinking he'd lost Locke and Boone, he began to wonder aimlessly.

Jack came to an unexpected ravine. It was about 200 feet deep and 30 feet wide. Looking over the edge, he saw jagged rocks and tree parts. An old tree lay across the opening of the ravine, providing an easy bridge. It looked like someone had chopped down the tree, that it had not fallen down itself. And suddenly, Jack knew why.

About halfway across the "bridge", there was something hanging dangerously by a rope, which was tied around the tree. The thing struggled and made grunting noises, and Jack realized it was Kate. Her ankles and wrists were tied together, her mouth stuffed so her cries for help were muffled. "Kate!" Jack called out.

"I'm coming!" Jack began to edge his way across the bridge. _Don't look down, rescue Kate. Don't look down, rescue Kate._ He told himself. The process seemed to be taking a long time, because when Jack looked back, he realized he'd only gotten a few feet across. Deciding to ignore his fears, he began to take another step.

"You take another move, and I kill you both." A somewhat recognizable voice rang in Jack's ears. He looked up to see what he didn't want to see. Ethan was crouching on the bridge, holding the rope that held Kate, as if he might let go any second. With his other hand, he held a gun.

Jack found it suddenly hard to breath. In his mind, he counted again: _One…two…three…four…five…_ Slowly, he moved one hand to his back pocket and fingered the knife Locke had given him, for protection. Jack figured he could make one attempt at throwing the thing at Ethan, but there would be consequences if he did. One, if he missed, Ethan could then shoot the both of them. Two, if he hit Ethan, Ethan would fall backwards, and let go of the rope that held Kate. Jack quickly made the decision to throw the knife at Ethan, and then leap for the rope that held Kate.

Jack took a deep breath and met Kate's gaze. There was so much emotion in her eyes: concern, love, fear, hatred, and hope. Jack, who'd never been much of a "religious man", said a quick prayer…and threw the knife.


	8. Chapter 8Kate

Slowly, Kate's droopy eyes opened. Sunlight shining through the trees blinded her eyes and she turned the other way. Her head was throbbing and she felt dizzy. She was sitting, uncomfortably, against an old tree. Her wrists and ankles were tied together. She was no longer in her garden, but instead in a small clearing in the woods. "You're up?" A voice said.

Kate looked to her left and saw Ethan, digging through what looked like a backpack. He pulled out a piece of paper and a knife.

"Where am I?" Kate asked. Her words slurred together, and she felt the unbearable pain her head come back. Her head spun. She managed to turn the other way before she threw up her last meal of boar and water.

Resting her head against the tree, Kate closed her eyes. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe she was hallucinating. She opened her eyes again. Now Ethan was towering over her, a twisted, cruel smile on his face.

"What do you want from me?" Kate asked. Ethan pulled out his knife and crouched behind her. "This'll hurt," He warned.

"OW!" Kate yelled. She felt the cool blade of the knife cut into her arm. Desperately, she struggled, but it only mad the pain worse.

Kate watched in horror as Ethan came out from behind her, his fingers covered in her blood. He carefully started to write with the blood on the paper.

"What are you doing?" Kate interrogated him.

"Writing a note to your little friends," Ethan snickered. Finished, he held the paper up for her to see.

Kate carefully read the note that was dripping in her blood. The color drained out of her face. "What do you want with me?" Kate whispered. After reading the note, she had realized she was probably going to die.

Ethan laughed. "When will you realize I'm not going to answer any of your questions?"

Kate's breathing became staggered and sharp. She was going to die. Alone. On this weird, forgotten island. Without saying goodbye to Jack. _She was going to die._

"Get up." Ethan kicked her leg. "Now. Let's go."

Kate wriggled, but couldn't get up. "My ankles are tied together. I can't stand."  
In one swift move, Ethan cut her ankles free from the rope, but kept her wrists tied. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. "Get up."

Feeling she had no choice, Kate stood and began to walk where Ethan directed her. _This is probably how God is getting revenge,_ Kate thought. _After I killed the guy, and tried to steal money from the bank…_Suddenly, Kate realized something. The safety deposit box. The one she was trying to steal from…number 815. And she had been one flight 815. That couldn't have been coincidence…

"Over here," Ethan said. He pushed her to a clearing. She was standing at the edge of a huge ravine. Looking over, she saw that anyone who fell would plunge to their death. _So, this is how I'll die._ She figured. Kate noticed a tree, or a log, lying across the ravine. It looked like someone had chopped it down, that it hadn't fallen by itself.

"Let's go. Across, on the tree." Ethan forced her to slowly cross the "bridge". He stopped her about halfway across. They sat, and he tied her ankles together. Then he wrapped a thick rope around her, like a coil, and tied it in a tight knot to the tree. Then she was falling.

Kate was hanging dangerously, supported by only a rope. When she fell, the rope had twisted, or maybe broken, her ankle. Her mouth was stuffed to she couldn't yell or scream. She could only wait for her death. Or maybe, just maybe, someone would come and save her. "Have a nice life," Ethan laughed and ran off.

Kate felt like her last shred of hope had vanished. Of course no one could save her. Ethan probably had set a trap, so that Jack, or anyone for that matter, couldn't get near her. She'd either fall, or starve to death.

Kate felt something in her pocket. She managed to grab the thing and hold in front of her face with on hand. It was a leather pouch. Where had she gotten this? Struggling, she managed to open it with one hand. Inside was a note. In scribbled, recognizable handwriting, it read:

_Hey Kate. Thought you could use some more of those green-ish, blue-ish black-ish seeds. I found these and put them in your pocket. Have fun planting your Guava seeds! –Jack_

A tear rolled down Kate's face. Five lonely guava seeds sat at the bottom of the pouch. She knew right then that Jack felt the same way about her. Why else would he have given her guava seeds? She felt that shred of hope coming back. She would survive.


	9. Chapter 9Charlie

"Claire? Remember what? Claire?" Charlie searched Claire's cobalt eyes, which were full of emotion. Fear, anger, hope, love…Charlie couldn't name them all, but one thing was for sure: They were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen.

Claire faced Charlie. "I…I remember Jack…Jack and Hurley. Charlie, I remember them!" A broad smile came across her face.

Charlie laughed and put her hands in his. "Anything else?" He asked desperately.

She frowned now. "No, I just remembered them…from the crash. They helped me," She explained. She placed her head in her hands. "I have the worst headache," She grumbled. "And the baby's still kicking."

Charlie gazed up at the sky, which was now turning dark. "I think that's enough remembering for today. We should get to bed." Helping her up, Charlie guided Claire to a cave and set up a little bed for her and some blankets.

"Charlie…don't leave me. Please," Claire whispered.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you, Claire." He replied. "I promise."

Charlie sat next to Claire until she fell asleep. Then he went back outside and sat in front of the fire, sipping a water bottle. He was the happiest man alive. He'd found Claire, even though her memory was shot. No longer would he have to drive himself crazy, worrying if she was alive, if she was getting food and water, if the baby was OK…

Charlie realized something. Kate was gone now. Not only did this put a treat against the survivors, (especially the women) but Jack would have to go through the same torture Charlie had been through if…if Jack didn't find Kate.

Charlie had such an urge to go out and help Jack, but he couldn't. First of all, it was already dark out. Second of all, he didn't have the right supplies. And third, most important, he had to watch Claire. He'd made a promise that he was going to keep.

_I wonder how long Jack's going to be gone. And Locke, and Boone. _Charlie figured he'd take care of things while they were gone. Medical supplies were dwindling, but there hadn't been many accidents lately. Even Claire had come back with only a few scratches.

Charlie shook his head. What was he talking about? 'While they were gone'? He was talking as if they were going out to the supermarket! Charlie didn't even know if they would come back. And what if they didn't? Who would be in charge then?

Sighing, Charlie went back to the cave to check on Claire. One look at her peaceful, beautiful face, and his problems disappeared. He lay down next to her, held her hand, and began to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Srry this chapter is so short, keep reading and you'll understand why I had to stop here!!


	10. Chapter 10Claire

_Claire sat on the beach, gazing out at the sparkling, blue ocean. It had been a few days since the crash, and she still didn't know if her baby was OK. The only doctor on the island, Jack, couldn't tell yet, and he was busy tending to other people's wounds._

_A Chinese man, or at least who she thought was Chinese, came and sat near Claire. He didn't speak English, so they didn't talk, just sat._

_Claire glanced at the man. He face was tired and worn, making him look older than he really was His sleeves were rolled up on his blue collared shirt, and his once-white slacks were now faded and dirty._

_"Ow!" Claire exclaimed suddenly. She felt a sharp kick against her ribcage. The man looked over at her and raised an eyebrow._

_Claire smiled. "It's kicking! The baby's kicking!" Without warning, she grabbed the man's hand and placed it on her stomach, so he could feel the kick. His brow furrowed, but he managed a wavering smile. _

_Claire's grin spread from ear-to-ear. "It's OK! It's alive!"_

Claire woke up with a start. She felt dizzy, and the cave seemed to be spinning around her. It took a minute for her to recollect. She felt a weird sensation in her lower stomach. A sharp pain made her cry out and lay back down. Claire desperately woke Charlie up.

"Charlie…" She breathed. "Charlie, it's time. The baby's coming. I'm having contractions," She nudged Charlie until he woke up.

Charlie grumbled and rolled over, facing Claire. Rubbing his eyes, he muttered, "What? What is it?"

"Charlie, I'm having contractions! The baby's coming." Claire's breathing became heavier. She remembered something…Jack saying something about an early birth before.

Charlie, understanding the circumstances, leapt to his feet. Of course, he hadn't been prepared for this moment. "OK…." He talked to himself. Then he ran out of the cave and lugged in the suitcase full of medical supplies and grabbed some extra blankets.

"Charlie, you have to get the doctor. You have to get someone." Claire said. Another pain. "Aaaah!" She grabbed Charlie's hand and squeezed it tight until the contraction was over. In her head, Claire timed how far apart each contraction was.

"I can't leave you here, alone. It's in the middle of the night!" Charlie complained.

"I'll be fine. The beach is just down there. Go get someone, please!" Claire said.

Charlie looked at her and then outside, debating on what he should do. "OK…I'll be right back," And he sprinted off into the darkness.

Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _All the scary things go away when you sleep, right?_ She thought. She couldn't fall asleep, though, so she just kept her eyes closed. Every snap of a twig, every crackle of a leaf, she jumped.

Finally, Charlie came back, panting. With him he had a black man, a Korean lady, a little kid, and a tall blonde.

Charlie and the black man rushed around, getting things set up. Claire guessed the black man knew she'd lost her memory, because he introduced himself quickly. "I'm Michael; over there's my son, Walt; the Korean lady is Sun; and the blonde is Shannon. Any of this ring a bell?" He joked. Claire smiled and for some reason, trusted these people.

Shannon and Walt got bottles of water. Sun wet a cloth and put it on Claire's sweaty forehead. The contractions continued, becoming closer and closer together.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Michael said, "I think it's coming. It's baby time!" Charlie crouched by Claire, holding her hand and keeping her calm.

Michael cracked his knuckles. "I'm not much of a doctor, but I saw Walt being born, and Sun here seems to be quite of a nurse herself. Alright, Walt, wait outside the cave. Shannon, get more water." Everyone followed Michael's commands.

Sun got more blankets to wrap the baby in. Michael put on some rubber gloves he'd found. "OK, Claire, give me a big push and hold it for 10 seconds." Michael instructed. Claire took a deep breath and pushed.

Charlie counted for her. "1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10," Claire let out the air and breathed. Sun placed another cool cloth on Claire's forehead.

"I can see a head!" Michael exclaimed. "Alright, same thing. Push!"   
"1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10," Charlie squeezed Claire's hand reassuringly. Claire knew that strangers were delivering her baby, but she didn't care, so long as the baby was healthy.

"The head's out! Come on Claire, another big push!" Michael said.

"Do it for the baby, love," Charlie whispered. Claire nodded and pushed.

_Do it for the baby,_ Claire thought. _Do it for the baby._

"Alright, I'm seeing shoulders! A few more pushes should do it," Michael said. Just then, Locke and Boone came back.

"What's going on?" Boone asked.

"I thought you went looking for Jack!" Charlie exclaimed.

"What's it look like? Claire's giving birth!" Michael replied.

There was so much confusion; Claire thought she'd cry with all the stress. Sensing this, Charlie said, "Guys, you have to leave. This is really stressful for her."

Claire pushed again, crying out in pain. "It's out!" Michael exclaimed. Claire lifted her tired head to see her baby boy. He was covered in blood and all that mess, but he was beautiful. He let out a cry.

Charlie cut the umbilical cord. Sun began to wash the baby. Michael pulled off his gloves and said, "Mission accomplished."

Claire smiled and held her baby. Charlie stroked its head. "What will you name it?" Charlie asked. Everyone looked at Claire, waiting for an answer. "Michael," She said, smiling at Michael. "Thanks," He returned.

Claire looked at Charlie. "You pick the middle name," She said. Smiling, Charlie said, "Joseph. Michael Joseph Littleton."  
"No," Claire objected. Charlie gave her a confused look. "Michael Joseph Pace," She corrected.


	11. Chapter 11Jack

_Oh God, please don't let me have missed. I don't _want _to kill him…just for self-defense…please, if someone's gonna die, let it be me…let Kate live…please…_

Jack opened his eyes, not sure if he was going to see his worst nightmare come true…or what he'd always whished for. What he saw was somewhere in between.

All he could see was that the knife had cut into Ethan's arm. Yelping in pain, Ethan had let go of the rope. Jack lunged. Though it had happened in seconds, it felt like everything was going in slow motion.

Jack grabbed the rope and lifted Kate, still managing to keep his balance. Then he grabbed the gun, which Ethan had dropped. With one hand he pointed the gun at Ethan, who was clutching his bloody arm, and with the other hand he cut the ropes and freed Kate.

Jack noticed Kate's ankle in a very strange position, and he thought she broke it. Kate somehow crawled off the log and onto the land.

It was impossible for Jack to begin to describe the look on Ethan's face. But one thing was for sure: Ethan wanted Jack and Kate dead.

"You lousy, son-of-a…" Ethan stood, wobbling. Nervously, Jack held the gun and took a few steps back. He cocked the gun

"You wouldn't shoot it," Ethan growled, sounding surprisingly a bit like Sawyer. "You're the hero _and _the doctor. You wouldn't hurt a fly."

Ethan wobbled more threateningly, looking like he was drunk. Jack took another step back. He turned for a second, to see Kate sitting there, clutching her ankle. "Go!" Jack ordered. "Run!" Obeying, Kate stood and ran best she could into the dark woods.

"I'll shoot it," Jack threatened, trying to scare Ethan. It didn't work. Ethan took another dangerous, wobbly step forward, and Jack took a step back.

Jack placed a shaking finger on the trigger. No matter how bad Ethan was, Jack didn't want to kill another human being. Jack watched as Ethan's steps grew shakier and shakier. And then, just like that, Ethan fell.

It was so random Jack nearly fell himself. Ethan had been walking towards Jack. Then Ethan stopped, still clutching his arm, and fainted. Probably from blood loss, Jack guessed. Breathing a sigh of relief, he ran into the woods.

"Kate!" He yelled. "Kate! Where are you?"

Kate emerged from a tree. "I'm right here," She hobbled over to him. Jack noticed she still clutched the guava seeds. Kate hastily stuffed them in her pocket.

"Let me look at your ankle," Jack said. They sat on the ground. Jack quickly looked back at the ravine. Ethan definitely wasn't coming back.

"What happened back there? I didn't here a gunshot," Kate asked.

Jack laughed. "As much as I hate him…I wouldn't shoot him. I threw the knife at his arm, and he eventually fainted and fell, because of blood loss."

Kate smiled. "Thanks. For saving me." She blushed a deep red.

Jack returned the smile. "No problem." Jack felt like he had to say something more. "It's…umm…it's not dislocated,"

"What?" Kate asked.

"You're ankle. It's not dislocated, just sprained. I have some bandages back at the camp, I'll treat it there."

"Oh…right," Kate mumbled quickly.

As the two walked back slowly, because of Kate's condition, they were quite. Jack wanted to say something. Was this the time to tell her how he felt? _No, _Jack told himself. _You're just…tired. Wait till tomorrow._ But the other little voice in his head disagreed. _Do it now! What's the worst that can happen, you'll get rejected?_ "That's _exactly_ the worst that can happen," Jack muttered under his breath.

"What?" Kate asked.

_Do it. Do it now._ "Uh…Kate, can I tell you something?"

She smiled, giving him the OK.

"I…umm…look, I…well, how should I put it…I…uh…" Jack stammered. He couldn't get the words out. Thankfully, Kate did it for him

"Jack," She stopped, and looked into his deep, hazel eyes. "I love you."


	12. Chapter 12Kate

Kate limped into the now dark woods. She turned for a second, to see Jack still on the log, pointing the gun at Ethan. It occurred to her that this may be the last time she saw him, if…if something happened, like he fell or…_Don't think about that now,_ Kate told herself. The aching pain in her ankle just grew worse. Not wanting to leave Jack, but wanting to hide for her own safety, Kate chose to hide behind a tree nearby the scene.

_Maybe I should tell him,_ Thought Kate. How could she be thinking about this now, when Jack was trying to fight off the man who'd tried to kill her? But the thought didn't leave her mind that easily, no matter how hard she tried to push it away. She looked down to see she still clutched the leather bag of seeds from Jack, as if they were worth a million dollars. Not that her money was any good on the island, anyway.

In her mind, Kate made a list of pros and cons in telling Jack how she felt about him. _Pro: There's a possibility he feels the same way. I mean, he _did _give me the guava seeds, right? Isn't that really…symbolic? Con: Of course, there's always the greater possibility that he _doesn't _feel the same way. He knows I'm a convict. Who falls in love with a convict? Pro: If he does feel the same way about me, wouldn't we have a better relationship on an island where we see each other all the time? Con: We see each other all the time. If he doesn't feel the same way about me, it would be extremely awkward to be around him all the time. I can't just lock myself in my house like I would do in the real world. But isn't this the real world? Doesn't seem like it…_

Thoughts spun in Kate's mind. She hadn't realized how much time had passed, and before she knew it, she could here Jack's voice. "Kate? Where are you?"

She emerged from behind the tree. "Right here," She replied. Jack smiled and her heart skipped a beat. She followed his gaze to the guava seeds, which she hastily stuffed in her pocket.

Jack took a look at her ankle. She felt his strong hand tenderly touching her ankle, and she grinned. Thankfully, Jack didn't see this.

Deciding to strike up a conversation, Kate asked, "What happened back there? I didn't here a gunshot,"

Jack laughed. "As much as I hate him…I wouldn't shoot him. I threw the knife at his arm, and he eventually fainted and fell because of blood loss."

Kate smiled. "Thanks. For saving me." She felt her cheeks burn.

Jack returned the smile. "No problem." Kate studied Jack's face. It seemed so perfect, like God himself had spent days creating Jack's face so it would be amazing. His chin came to a rounded point, the dark grizzly peach fuzz of a beard covering his cheeks and lower face. His lips were soft and moist, but not too girly. His dark brown hair was cut short. But what amazed Kate most were his eyes. They were a hazel-ish brown, and whenever Kate looked into his eyes, she felt completely lost. It felt like she was falling, falling, but just because of his presence…everything was OK.

Jack mumbled something that Kate didn't hear. She was so preoccupied in his eyes…

"What?" Kate asked.

"You're ankle. It's not dislocated, just sprained. I have some bandages back at the camp, I'll treat it there."

"Oh…right," Kate mumbled quickly, feeling embarrassed.

They had to walk back slowly, because Kate could only limp. The two were quite for a while. Kate wanted to say something. _Tell him now! _A voice in her head said. But another voice was going, _He's probably not interested in you. Don't do it, save yourself the heartbreak. _It was like an angel and a devil were sitting on either one of her shoulders, telling her what to do. Kate her Jack mutter something.

"What?" She asked.

"Uh…Kate, can I ask you something?" Kate smiled. _Is he going to tell me that he feels the same way? Or just some random question?_

"I…umm…look, I…well, how should I put it…I…uh…" Jack stammered.

Something inside Kate told her, _Yes! He's trying to say what you want to say! Do it now, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life!  
_Taking a deep breath, Kate said the words that would change her life forever. "Jack…I love you,"

There was a silence. Kate's heart pounded. She looked at Jack's face, trying to read his expression, but got nothing.

"Look, I understand if you don't…" Kate started. Had she made a mistake?

"Kate," Jack said. She looked into his eyes and, like many times before, felt herself getting lost in him. Kate noticed Jack had a huge smile on his face. And her conscience told her she'd done the right thing.

Jack replied by leaning in and doing what Kate had dreamed of ever since she set foot on the island: giving her a long, romantic, sensational kiss.


	13. Chapter 13Charlie

Charlie cradled the tiny thing in his arms. Michael's large, periwinkle blue eyes stared at Charlie. His eyes looked exactly like Claire's. A tuft of wispy blonde hair sat atop his head. Claire was taking a nap in the caves, and Charlie was supposed to keep an eye on Mike.

Charlie came to the conclusion that he would have to be a "father figure" for Mike. After all, Claire had given the baby Charlie's last name. They weren't even married. Or maybe Claire was hinting something…anyway, Charlie didn't exactly know how he was going to do this. Not only would the kid be growing up on a desolate, God-forsaken island; his "dad" would be the ex-druggie rock god.

Mike began to whimper, his eyes crinkling up ready to produce waterworks of the daily tears. _I have to prove to Claire I can do this. I'll keep him quiet. _It wasn't as easy as it sounds. Charlie rocked the baby, gave him water, made funny faces…this only made it worse. He even sang: "You all, everybody!" The baby howled. "OK, Mike, hush! You don't want mummy waking up now, do you?" Charlie rocked the baby some more.

There was one more solution that Charlie didn't want to go through. The changing of the diaper. He _really _didn't want to do this, but to make Claire happy…well, he'd do anything. Charlie grabbed a blanket and lay Mike on it. Charlie began to peel off the diaper that Sun had fashioned out of some old clothes from the luggage. It was a mess. "Bloody hell! How can something as small as _you_ produce so much crap?" Mike laughed. "Oh, so you think _this _is funny? Having Charlie clean up your shit?" Charlie muttered. Mike gurgled. Charlie realized he shouldn't have said curse words around the kid. "Oh well, you're too young to talk anyway," Charlie laughed. He grabbed another one of the "diapers" and wrapped around Mike. Finally, the interminable (A/N: Srry, freakin English teacher gives us lotsa vocab that's stuck in my head!) job was done.

Charlie sat with his back against a rock, cradling Mike. "Sucks for you, you have to grow up on this island. Maybe when you're older I'll teach you how to play my guitar. You'd like that, right? Oh, and don't do drugs, it _really_ screws you up. Trust me," Charlie whispered. Mike's eyes grew droopier by the minute.

"You look like you're ready for a nap," Charlie said. He lifted Mike up over to the cave, where blankets and pillows had been set up. Charlie carefully laid Mike on his stomach. "I think that's how you're supposed to lay," Charlie muttered. He wrapped Mike in blankets and fluffed the pillows. But Mike was already fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams…son," Charlie whispered.


	14. Chapter 14Claire

Claire's droopy eyes slowly lifted. She blinked a few times, getting used to her surroundings. For a moment, she couldn't remember anything. Then she glanced to her right where Michael lay, and it came rushing back to her.

Outside it was growing dark. Claire stepped out to see Charlie sitting by the fire, warming himself. When she saw him, or was near him, everything was OK. Her troubles disappeared.

Charlie saw her and smiled. "Hey, love. Have a nice nap?" Claire joined him by the fire. Charlie wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm so tired and sore," Claire muttered. "Childbirth is harder than they say…"

"Anything is harder than it looks," Charlie laughed.

"You put Mike down?" Claire asked.

"You sound surprised," Charlie replied.

"No, it's just that…" Claire started.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Charlie leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Claire's heart thumped. But, being as cautious as she was, she pulled away. Charlie gave her a confused, hurt look.

"Charlie…" Claire began. "I love you. You know I do. But it seems so unreal…how could I find my true love…"

"On this island?" Charlie finished for her.

Claire smiled and nodded. "But then again…we're going to be here for awhile, I guess. I'm just more concerned about Mike right now, that's all." This was a lie. Truthfully, Claire wanted to be around Charlie all the time. Then why couldn't she just say this? She _was_ concerned about Mike, but she knew that Charlie would be more of a father figure than Thomas, or anyone else for that matter, had ever been.

Claire half expected Charlie to drop his arm and stare at his feet in a sullen (A/N: Friggin English vocab…) expression. Instead, a broad smile came across his face. "Me too, love. Claire, I meant it when I said I'd always be here for you," Charlie said.

Claire smiled, relieved that he hadn't gotten mad with her. "I know. And Charlie…I love you still." Charlie's grin got even broader.

However, a sharp, piercing noise caught their attention. It was a cry…no, more like a wail. Instinctively, they both ran to the cave where Mike was. Claire lifted him up and rocked him and sang to him. He wouldn't stop crying.

Charlie took over and held Mike. The cries turned into screams. The other Michael came over. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"He won't stop screaming," Charlie yelled over the wails. Claire was standing at the edge of the cave. A weird feeling had come over her. But it wasn't a good feeling. It was far from good. Charlie noticed her and walked over.

"Claire, you look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?" Charlie asked.

Claire looked him straight in the eye. "Charlie, the psychic back in Sydney…he said that I had to raise the baby…something was wrong with it…he knew about the crash…" Claire began to tremble.

"Claire, what are you talking about?" Charlie's eyes were filled with worry.

"Charlie…the baby is trying to tell us….somebody's going to die."


	15. Chapter 15Jack

Jack and Kate had made it back to the camp in one piece. They'd held hands the whole way back. Jack expected to be greeted with cheers, hugs and interrogations (A/N: English vocab word, once again -p). Instead, he was greeted with the exact opposite.

They walked into the clearing, which was empty. Jack noticed that almost everyone was in a cave, surrounding something. Whatever it was, it was crying and wailing. Jack and Kate hurried to the scene.

"Jack! Thank God you're here!" Charlie exclaimed. He nodded his head at Kate.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Claire's baby is…"

"Baby!" Jack pushed his way through the group of people to see Claire holding her baby. "You had the baby?" Jack asked. How long had he been gone? A night? And the one night he'd been gone, Claire had had her baby.

Claire looked up. Tears were streaming down her face. She held her screaming baby.

"Jack…" She began.

"You remember me?" Jack asked.

"That's not the point," Claire said. "Jack, the baby…in Sydney, there was a psychic, and he said that the baby had to be raised by me and me only. Then he gave me plane tickets…he knew the plane was going to crash. He knew the baby was different."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "What are you…"

Claire cut him off. "Jack, someone is going to die."

Jack was even more confused. "Claire, no one is going to…"

"Jack," Claire grabbed Jack's sleeve. Concern filled her blue-gray eyes. "Someone is going to die."

Jack sat on the sandy beach. He looked out at the blue-green ocean. Twinkling, bright stars illuminated the night sky. Sighing, he lay back, digging holes in the sand and filling them again.

Kate came over and joined him. "Hey," She whispered. Jack closed his eyes.

"Did he stop crying?" Jack asked. He still had a headache from the endless wails.

"Yea," Kate said, laughing. Her laugh was like honey to Jack—rich and sweet. It comforted him to hear her laugh.

"Do you believe what Claire said?" Kate asked. Jack could sense worry in her voice. Jack sat up next to her.

"Partly. I mean, remember how she told us she had 'nightmares' that someone was trying to kill her baby? I thought she was dreaming, but then…" A wave of guilt washed over him.

"Don't blame yourself, Jack." Kate placed a hand on his.

Jack smiled. "God knows what can happen on this island."

"Jack…" Kate's voice had an unrecognizable tremble. "I'm scared."

Jack looked over at Kate's face. The color was drained out. She looked tired and older. Her beautiful face seemed to have lost its shine. The twinkle was gone from her eyes. Jack had never seen Kate this afraid.

Jack gave her a hug. "It's going to be OK," Jack soothed her.

"I don't know…I've never been this scared…but I think what Claire said is—"

"Hey," Jack pulled her away from him. He looked into her eyes and felt his heart melt. He leaned in and gave her a long kiss.

When he pulled away, Kate laughed her honey laugh and said, "I'll admit, I feel better." But something interrupted their moment.

"JACK! KATE!" Boone came running up to them. Jack released Kate from his arms and looked up at Boone. "What's wrong?"

Panting, Boone said, "Jin…he's….he's dead."


	16. Chapter 16Kate

**Rain1657**tryin 2 upload chappies ASAP! LOL! Thanks for ur reviews!

**PinkPinker**I think English has gotten 2 my head, I'm using vocab words in a friggin fan fic…oh btw I'll bring the TV guide Monday!

Thanks 2 all of u for ur reviews!

As bad as it sounds, Kate didn't want to leave the beach where she'd been with Jack. But someone had died. That was more important, right? It seemed unfathomable to Kate how much had happened in just a few days. Claire came back and had her baby. She had come close to dying before the love of her life saved her. She then confessed to him how she felt. They came back and found out Claire had had her baby, and the baby had some sort of power. Or maybe Claire had the power. It didn't matter anymore. Claire had said someone was going to die—and someone died.

They reached the caves. The run up there had been difficult, since it had grown dark and they couldn't see anything in their path. But they managed to get there to see pretty much all the survivors crowded around Jin's body.

Everyone had the same look on their faces—total fear and horror. Kate looked down, expecting to see the bloody corpse of Jin. But there wasn't anything. No blood, no marks. Jack knelt down and examined the body. He looked each of the survivors in the eye—Sobbing Sun, terrified Claire, protective Charlie, even Claire's baby, who had no expression on his face—and asked, "What happened?"

"Dude, we don't know. Everyone was over at the cave, tryin' to get the kid to shut up, and Sun goes out to get water and we hear her scream. We run over and he's lying there, dead." Hurley said.

"When did the baby stop crying?" Jack asked, examining the baby's surprisingly calm face.

"Just before I left, right?" Kate said.

"No, he started up again," Charlie muttered.

Claire was trembling. "He stopped when we found Jin," Claire whispered. "I told you, the baby knew."

How could this be happening? Kate wondered. Maybe she was dreaming. She looked down at Jin's body, then looked at the rest of the survivors. Everyone was suspicious of each other. "Maybe it was Ethan," Michael said.

"Ethan's dead," Kate quickly replied. Too quickly, she realized, seeing everyone stare at her. Thankfully, Jack took over.

"We didn't kill him, he fell into the ravine and died," Jack explained. Everyone looked a little bit more relieved.

Jack continued to examine the body. "There's nothing. No cut, no marks, nothing. It doesn't even look like anyway choked him." Jack looked up at Claire, then at the baby's strangely peaceful face.

"Claire was right," Kate said.

Claire was shaking. "I..I didn't know…the baby…I got this feeling…" Charlie calmed her and held the baby for her.

Each person looked at each other, with uneasy stares. Who was it? How did Jin die? What was going on? Even cocky Sawyer didn't make a smart remark.

"Guys," Kate said, her voice shaking. "This is not your ordinary island."

THE END!

I know, really random ending. Don't worry, I'm already working on the sequel! Hope you liked it! Again, sorry I had 2 leave you all at a cliffhanger…


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